


A Part of Growing Up

by Scotty1609



Series: Stony, But With Kids [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aunt & Uncle Avengers, Aunt Pepper Potts, Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Feels, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Family Fluff, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Mentioned Characters, Peggy Stark-Rogers - Freeform, Protective Bucky Barnes, Stony - Freeform, Superfamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Time Period: First Cetagandan War, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uncle Bucky Barnes, Uncle Bucky is a Good Uncle, Uncle James "Rhodey" Rhodes, shark week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 10:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18163910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scotty1609/pseuds/Scotty1609
Summary: “U-Uncle B-Bucky?”Bucky would recognize that sweet, angelic voice anywhere. He remembered back to the day when Steve and Tony had brought home the squirming little red-faced baby angel, remembered holding her with shaky hands and wide eyes as she let out the kind of squealing-coo noise that only newborns could.“What's wrong, angel?” he all but crooned to the twelve-year-old. “Nightmare?”“N-No,” Peggy all but whimpered, shuffling in her sea otter-themed pajamas. She rubbed at teary eyes, her lower lip wobbling as she looked up at her uncle. “I- I had an a-a-accident...”





	A Part of Growing Up

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't read or edit this, because I wrote it at midnight and was freaking exhausted, so I'll try to go back and fix up any mistakes later. I was just REALLY needing some Uncle Bucky fluff, and so little Peggy Stark-Rogers was born!!
> 
> This is an AU where Steve and Tony are married and have been happily so for quite some time, but they're still functioning as Captain America and Iron Man because they're badass grandpas with no impulse control.

Bucky was no stranger to be woken up in the middle of the night. Between missions, nightmares, and his beautiful niece and nephew, he rarely got a good eight hour's sleep. So, when he woke up to creaking footsteps in his doorway, he didn't groan or whine. He merely rolled over in bed, blinking in the dim light, and called out, “Who's it?”

“U-Uncle B-Bucky?”

Bucky would recognize that sweet, angelic voice anywhere. He remembered back to the day when Steve and Tony had brought home the squirming little red-faced baby angel, remembered holding her with shaky hands and wide eyes as she let out the kind of squealing-coo noise that only newborns could. Without looking up from the precious cargo in his arms, Bucky addressed the couple in front of him, “What'd you name her?”

“Margaret,” Tony said, and Bucky could hear the smile in his voice. “Peggy for short.”

Peter had been much older when he was adopted, nearly four years old. So, seeing Steve and Tony with such a tiny human being was a little shocking. But Peggy easily became part of the Avengers' daily routines. Thor would practically beg Steve to feed her every time she needed to eat, and Clint all but comandeerd bath-time, ignoring Rhodey's jealous protests of “You have your own kids!” The two men finally made a freaking schedule for who got to bathe the baby. Natasha would sing Russian lullabies to Peggy when she thought no one else was listening, and Bruce took great pleasure in teaching the baby her shapes and colors. Of course, her parents got plenty of time with her, too. Tony wouldn't dare let her down in the labs, but he was always there whenever Peggy had nightmares or got fussy, shockingly always the first one out of his and Steve's bed. And Steve would have tummy-time with his daughter, and when she got older, art-time. Steve was thrilled that his daughter seemed to take more after his creative side than Tony's scientific side, and Tony was always framing Peggy's pictures for his lab and office.

Bucky hadn't been comfortable with the baby at first. Despite all the years that went by, he still harbored mixed feelings about himself and his Hydra days. No matter how much the whole team insisted that they weren't his fault, Bucky just didn't feel that Peggy was safe around him. After about three months of avoiding his niece, Tony plopped Peggy down in his lap and said, “Margaret needs her Uncle Bucky time,” and swiftly ran off to his lab. Bucky was bewildered- terrified- at first, but one gummy smile from Peggy later and he was wrapped around her tiny finger. Bucky was always the first one to volunteer to take her on walks to the park, or out for ice-cream, or just to babysit at Avenger's Mansion. And as Peggy grew, Bucky's love for her only strengthened.

Which was why Bucky wasn't upset in the slightest when Peggy woke him up that night at- he glanced at the clock- four AM.

“What's wrong, angel?” he all but crooned to the twelve-year-old. “Nightmare?”

“N-No,” Peggy all but whimpered, shuffling in her sea otter-themed pajamas. She rubbed at teary eyes, her lower lip wobbling as she looked up at her uncle. “I- I had an a-a-accident...”

Bucky would be lying if he said he wasn't a little startled at that. The last time Peggy had an accident was when she was eight and Steve had been MIA on a secret mission for nearly a month. Tony had been a wreck, and Peter- God bless him- had somehow managed to keep a cool enough head to help his father and little sister. So when Peggy said she had an accident...

“Okay, kiddo,” Bucky wiped the nervous look off his face and replaced it with a reassuring smile. “Let's get you cleaned up, okay? FRIDAY, lights at fifty percent, please.”

The AI didn't reply, but allowed the darkness to filter away through soft white lighting. Bucky looked at Peggy, inspecting her to make sure she wasn't injured-

 _Oh, fuck,_ Bucky thought, paling as he noticed the blood staining the crotch of the girl's pajama pants. It took several moments of internal panicking about where and when and _how_ Peggy could have gotten injured before he realized what was happening:

Peggy had started her period.

And her parents were both away on a mission, leaving Bucky her primary caretaker.

Natasha was away at the farm with Clint, visiting his family, and Bucky wouldn't dare wake Pepper up at this time of day, so Bucky was on his own for this one.

“Okay, doll,” he sighed, standing up and reaching a hand out to the girl. “You got your stuff in your bathroom?”

Peggy sniffled and nodded, face flushed as she was clearly embarrassed.

“Hey, hey, nothing to cry about. This is... natural,” Bucky finished off as he led his niece back to her bedroom. “Why don't you go get cleaned up in the bathroom, and I'll change your sheets, okay?”

Peggy nodded, uncharacteristically quiet, and slipped away into the bathroom. Bucky turned to her bed, sighing heavily once more, and went about changing the sheets. He was relieved to see that there wasn't too much blood- and he wasn't a stranger to blood, but it was a bit different when it was coming out of his niece- and it hadn't strained through to the mattress. Bucky heard the noise of the shower running as he dutifully stripped the bed of its sheets. He went about making it up again with the softest bedding he could find, tucking Peggy's stuffed animals up around her pillows, and setting some extra pajamas outside the bathroom door for her- Black Widow themed, he smiled. Then, he sat on the bed and waited for the girl to finish her shower.

 _What do I do now?_ Bucky thought to himself as he absent-mindedly petted one of Peggy's stuffed animals- a little lion that was clearly loved and missing an eye. _Steve and Tony won't be back for another couple of days, and her cycle should be over by then... Or is it different for the first time? I should ask Bruce; he might know. Or I can call Nat and Clint in the morning- Clint's married and has a daughter, he **should** know. And Steve and Tony would want me to call, no matter where they are on their mission. _Bucky ran a hand down his face, suddenly tired. _God, what the hell am I doing? I can't be an uncle to a **teenager**. It was bad enough when Pete started puberty, but now Peggy? My kiddos can't be growing up that fast!_

Bucky was drawn out of his ruminating by Peggy walking out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in her pajamas. He hadn't even noticed her grab them from outside the door. “C'mere, angel,” Bucky reached out for the towel in her hands. “Let me dry your hair.”

Peggy sat in front of her uncle on the soft bed, wiggling a bit as water dripped from her bangs. Her curly brown locks were ever reminiscent of her namesake's, and Bucky was finding himself feeling rather nostalgic at it. When he finished drying and combing the girl's hair, Bucky craned his neck to see her face. The shower hadn't done the girl any favors in helping lull her back to sleep, and it was nearly five anyhow. “How about some pancakes?” he asked gently, to which Peggy screwed her nose up like a baby bunny.

“Waffles are better.”

Bucky scoffed. “Blasphemy! From my own niece!”

That drew a giggle from the girl, which Bucky counted as a win. “Okay, waffles it is,” he sighed in faux disappointment. “Blueberry or chocolate-chip?”

Peggy considered for a moment, tapping her chin, before inquiring, “Both?”

Bucky couldn't help but roll his eyes. Steve was right- the girl still had Bucky wrapped around her little finger, just like when she was a baby. “Okay, squirt, let's get on with it.”

Once Peggy was settled at the kitchen bar, Bucky set about making waffles. He even donned a frilly apron that said “World's Second Okayest Chef” to make Peggy smile. Humming to himself, Bucky tapped his foot and listened to the even sound of Peggy's breathing as he worked. It only took a few minutes, and soon enough the duo was sitting at the table with their waffles, Bucky trying to coax conversation from the girl. He finally hit the mark when he asked her about her newest art project. Peggy's eyes lit up, and she animatedly began waving her hands and ranting about the benefits and disadvantages of oil painting and acrylics. It made Bucky smile. If Peggy had gotten her Pop's artistic side, she had gotten Tony's dramatic flair. Her hands waved wildly, sending syrup flying.

A few minutes into their conversation, Rhodey waltzed into the room in search of coffee.

“Early rising today?” Bucky asked him.

Rhodey nodded. “Yea, I've gotta get back to base-camp for a mission deployment. The Iron Patriot is needed.”

“War Machine,” Peggy insisted around a mouthful of waffle. At Rhodey's disapproving glance, she cried indignantly, “What?! It's _way_ more badass than 'Iron Patriot'!”

Rhodey chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair and successfully mussing it up. Peggy scowled and pulled away from the affection with a whine. “You definitely take after your dad, that's for sure. But don't let your Pops hear you talking like that. He's liable to give you the disappointed puppy look and a good lecture.”

Bucky scoffed at that and rolled his eyes. “C'mon, s'not like Stevie's the poster-child for good behavior. You should've heard some of the shit he said when we were in the Howlies! That kid had a mouth on him, that's for sure.”

Peggy looked to be in awe of the idea of her Pops being a mischievous young adult, and was about to beg for stories before the group was interrupted by the clacking of heels on the floor tiles. “Good morning,” Pepper yawned as she entered the kitchen. She went to grab a mug of coffee, kissing Peggy on the forehead and taking a seat next to her niece. “I hope you're eating more than just waffles; the sugar will knock you out in a few hours. And you have school.”

“Do I _have_ to go?” Peggy whined out. “My stomach hurts.”

Bucky sat up a bit straighter. He had forgotten about _those_ kinds of side-effects, and he had always been protective of Peggy, even before he was comfortable being in charge of her. “You feeling okay?” He asked, reaching forward to feel her forehead. Was having a fever another side-effect? Pepper always complained about being too hot during her time of the month. Peggy _did_ feel a little warm...

“Uncle Buuuuck,” Peggy whined once more, though she leaned into the cool metal of her uncle's hand for some kind of relief. “I'm not _sick_ ,” she insisted. “I mean-” Peggy glanced at Pepper “-if it'll get me out of school...” She coughed into her fist, giving a dramatic moan. “I'm _dying_!”

“Don't joke about that,” Bucky scowled as he gathered empty plates and dumped them in the sink for later. “Your Pops and Dad would murder me, bring me back to life, and murder me again if I let you die on my watch.”

Rhodey chuckled into his coffee. “Not to mention what Peter would do.”

“ _Ugh_ ,” Peggy groaned. “They're way too dramatic!”

“You're one to talk,” Pepper teased the girl as she reached out to mimic Bucky's earlier actions of checking for a fever. “But if you're _really_ feeling sick...”

“M'not sick,” Peggy mumbled, flushing as her embarrassment from earlier came back full-force. “M'just... uh... I...”

“Kiddo started her cycle,” Bucky divulged, making Peggy squawk indignantly.

“Uncle _Buuuuck_!”

“No reason to be embarrassed, kiddo,” Rhodey reassured her. “It's a part of life.”

“Oh, honey,” Pepper took pity on the girl. “I can remember how hard my first period was. If you wanna stay home today, then I can call you in to school. But you'll need to go tomorrow if you stay home today, okay?”

“Yea, squirt,” Bucky piped in. “Maybe I can order in some pizza for lunch and we can have a movie-marathon kinda day.”

“Lord of the Rings?!” Peggy bounced in her seat.

“I can't believe they rebooted those movies,” Rhodey huffed. “The originals were good as is.”

“Yea, but this new Legolas is _so cute_ ,” Peggy cut in. “He's got the braids and outfits and _everything_!!”

“God,” Bucky bemoaned, “I fear the day you start dating and bring home some elf-lookin' fruit cake.”

“ _James_ ,” Pepper scolded, smacking the man's chest lightly.

“Yea, yea.” Bucky waved her off before nodding to Peggy. “Go on, kiddo, why don't you go get your blanket and Mr. Peanut.”

Peggy blushed at the mention of her favorite stuffed animal. “I don't need that silly otter!” she insisted even as she stood and marched off to her room to fetch Mr. Peanut. “And I'm not gonna bring home a _fruit cake_!” she hollered over her shoulder as she stalked off.

Rhodey smiled softly at the girl. “Our baby girl's growing up too fast. I swear she was just a little red-faced blob coming home from the hospital not even a year ago.”

“She wasn't a blob,” Bucky defended. “She was a little angel.”

“Still is,” Pepper intoned as she stood and smoothed out her skirt. “I've got to get going to the office, but if you and Peggy need anything today, give me a call.”

“Sure thing, Pep.”

“I mean it, James, _anything_ at all.”

“We'll be fine,” Bucky reassured her. “After all, how much trouble could one little girl get into?”

Only a year later, when Peggy charged off into an alien invasion with her eyes blaring and magic runes charging around her fists, did Bucky realize just how misguided he was.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Peggy totally learns magic from her Uncle Strange and yoU CANNOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.
> 
> If you want to see more of Peggy and her Aunties and Uncles, please leave a comment down below with any ideas or prompts you may have for me!! I absolutely adore the idea of the Avengers being one big happy domestic family, and in this household we igNORE AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR AND REFUSE TO BELIEVE ANYONE IS GONNA DIE IN ENDGAME. ALRIGHT? ALRIGHT.


End file.
